Quick life update! – Yup, it’s Vegan

I just logged in to my site to catch up on replying to comments and wow. I haven’t been here since April! Last time I disappeared for a while, it was for mental health reasons and I was surprised to learn that people were worried.

My living situation changed during the pandemic and since then it’s been difficult finding time and space for preparing and photographing blog recipes due to my current shared kitchen/pantry/fridge.

That being said, the actual main reason I haven’t been focusing on the blog, is that I decided to push myself to compete at a more elite level in ultramarathons, something I’ve been thinking about for a while. Unexpectedly becoming a remote worker gave me the flexibility I needed to take the plunge. It’s been an incredible outlet for the excess of energy that I suffer from as a person. It’s also incredibly time-consuming! Over the past two years, I ran 70-100 miles per week to prepare for and compete in a 100 miler race, the Grindstone 100, including a tuneup 100k event along the way.

I’ve been making a lot of home-cooked food for myself and it’s been spartan and fuel-oriented. White rice with tempeh and veggies or easy noodle stir-fries. Perhaps a batch of whole wheat pasta with Rao’s sauce and beans. Giant fruit and vegetable protein smoothies in the morning. I’ve been feeling so amazing and crushing all of my runs for two years now, and a week ago my race happened and I won first place! I felt invincible and I was able to run across the finish line, 100 miles in, with the love of my life by my side.

I have loved spending all of this time outdoors, away from the screens and the bustle, appreciating scenery and wildlife and seeing what my body can do – and when not in the mood for that, listening to audiobooks and podcasts. It has all been soooooo good for me.

At the end of the day, this is a recipe site and most people won’t care to see this update, but for those who do, I didn’t want anyone to worry. I’ve been doing really great. I have a new-ish job that I’m really liking, my athletic career is surging, and I’m still cooking. I have lots of ideas and a few baked goods recipes that I’ve been testing, but the blog hasn’t been a priority. I’ve been feeling the pull of eagerness to get back to work on this space, and I will be transitioning right around the holidays into a new living setup with a super awesome kitchen where I will have full freedom to cook up a storm.

So it will be a few months longer, but you’ll be seeing me back here very soon! It looks like I have a lot to catch up on. I guess people are making salmon out of tofu now? Not sure that I even trust that for a second, but you can trust that I will try it and let you know honestly how I feel about it!

With that I will bid you adieu, but not without reminding everyone that going to therapy literally saved me. If you are going through a tough time, consider reading my mental health confessional from two years ago, comparing it to how well I’m doing right now, and keeping in mind that getting professional support made the WHOLE difference. Sending my love!